Quotes of the decade

Thu Dec 31 2009 20:53:32 GMT+0000

'I could feel the crowd all over me' - Indigenous Australian Cathy Freeman carries the expectations of a nation at the beginning of the 400m final at the 2000 Sydney Olympics - she went on to win gold in one of the highlights of the Games [GALLO/GETTY]

'I have no-one to blame but myself for what I've done' - former US track star Marion Jones begins her torrid fall from grace after admitting using steriods before the 2000 Sydney Olympics [GALLO/GETTY]

South African cricketer Hansie Cronje confessed that 'the devil' drove him to accept money from an Indian betting syndicate in 2000 - Cronje was banned for life and died in 2002 in a plane crash [EPA]

'I wanted to prove I was the best fighter in the world' – Britain's Lennox Lewis beats Mike Tyson in eight rounds in one of the most hyped fights of 2002, ending Tyson's campaign to be world heavyweight champion again [GALLO/GETTY]

'They had to do with my mother, my sister. He said words that were very hard, and he repeated them several times. You listen once, and you try to go away. That's what I did. You hear it a second time, and then a third time' - France's Zinedine Zidane uses his head, and loses his head, in the 2006 World Cup final against Italy [EPA]

'I want to have fun out there and I feel as fresh as ever. I've re-charged myself after a three-year break' - German F1 legend Michael Schumacher who retired in 2006 after amassing a career 91 Grand Prix wins and 7 World Titles announced his return to racing in 2009 [GALLO/GETTY]

'He may be human but he's from a different planet; a different galaxy' - Russian swimmer Alexander Sukhorukov describes racing against US Olympian Michael Phelps at the 2008 Beijing Games [GALLO/GETTY]

'I'm Lightning Bolt. I'm not Flash Gordon or anybody. My name is Lightning Bolt' - modest Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt corrects the media after setting a second world record in Beijing [GALLO/GETTY]

'Sri Lanka gone through a lot in the past 26 years but we're islanders and we have a prevalent durable feature and we have a sense of humour that enables us to take things in our stride' - Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara talks to Al Jazeera after the Lahore attacks on his team in March 2009 [GALLO/GETTY]

'Sport has the power to inspire and unite people' - Former South African president Nelson Mandela welcomes the World Cup to South Africa [GALLO/GETTY]

'After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father and person' - Tiger Woods confirms rumours in late 2009 [GALLO/GETTY]